Toys"R"Us Delivers the Best Mobile Experience, e-tailing group Finds

Toys“R”Us was named the retailer that delivers the best mobile site user experience, according to a new report from the e-tailing group.

The toy store chain scored 83.5 out of 100 in the e-tailing group’s fourth annual Mobile Mystery Shopping report. Rounding out the top six best-performing mobile websites are American Eagle Outfitters (82.5), Crate & Barrel (82.25), Nordstrom (80.25), Sephora (80.25) and Foot Locker (80.25).

The mobile websites were scored on an assessment of metrics on five key pages, the presence and execution of vital merchandising tactics, and accessible customer service. Sites were also evaluated on the following:

• overall usability and any errors experienced in the process;
• effective promotional execution
;
• feature-rich retail locators, lookup and pickup options
;
• shopper-centric search options;
• strong cross-channel shopper profile integration
;
• efficient checkout, related tools and likelihood to buy
; and
• cross-device and cross-channel promotion.

The average score for all 50 merchants studied in the report was 69.73. Other retailers studied included Amazon.com, Best Buy, Gap, HSN, Macy’s, Omaha Steaks, Target, Tiffany & Co. and Wal-Mart.

The report also looked at key mobile trends among the 50 merchants. It noted that retailers have invested heavily in connecting mobile users to stores, which is reflected in good user experiences. Another trend, however, is that while retailers have made advancements in terms of brand, merchandising and usability on key pages such as home, category, product, search results and shopping cart, they still have work to do in providing users a standout selling experience. Checkout is another area where retailers still face significant obstacles in driving cross-channel efficiencies and meeting the demands of consumers. Streamlining product search for mobile users is yet another area that needs to be improved upon.

Do these findings sound in line with what you're experiencing in your company? If so, leave a comment below or let me know at mcampanelli@napco.com. I'd love to get an open dialog going about the mobile issues our readers are facing.